Method and apparatus for salvaging a sunken vessel

ABSTRACT

For salvaging a sunken vessel, there is disclosed a closed, or water-tight, fitting which initially is held on the hull by magnets, but which is thereafter securely fastened to the hull by the detonation of rivet guns on the fitting. A cutting charge in the fitting is detonated to blast a hole in the hull, and a clearing charge is detonated to remove the cover from the fitting. A tube is then connected to the fitting to introduce buoyant plastic or glass spheres through the fitting and into the hull to float the vessel.

Umted States Patent 1 1 1111 3,822,660 Throner, Jr. 1 July 9, 1974 [54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR 2,355,513 8/1944 COX 114/164 3,599,663 8/1971 Vernooy 137/318 SALVAGING A SUNKEN VESSEL 3,709,250 1/1973 Bates 137/318 [75] Inventor: Guy C. Throner, Jn, Saratoga,

Cahf' Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler [73] Assignee: FMC Corporation, San Jose, Calif. Assistant Examiner-Gregory OCOTmOT Attorney, Agent, or Firm-J. F. Verhoeven; C. E. 22 F11ed: Jan. 8, 1973 Tripp [21] App]. No.: 322,036

. [57] ABSTRACT [52 us. c1 114/50, 114/164 137/318 For Salvaging a Sunken vessel, the": is disclosed a [51 1m. 01. 1563c 7/12 or Water-tight, fitting which initially is held [58] Field of Search 114/50 51 44 16.4 the hull by magnets, but which is thereafter securely 220/47. 61769 69 fastened to the hull by the detonation of rivet guns on the fitting. A cutting charge in the fitting is detonated 56] References Citd to blast a hole in the hull, and a clearing charge is detonated to remove the cover from the fitting. A tube is UNITED STATES PATENTS then connected to the fitting to introduce buoyant I /1 plastic or glass spheres through the fitting and into the repe a 1 1,775,595 9/1930 Lieske 114 51 hull to float the vessel 2,189,439 2/1940 Temple 114/51 14 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SALVAGING A SUNKEN VESSEL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of salvage of sunken vessels.

When a large vessel sinks, cargo or gear from the vessel may be salvaged with the aid of divers, if the ship has not sunk to too great a depth. However, it is seldom that the ship itself is salvaged, primarily because of the weight of the ship.

The use of divers in salvagingoperations around a sunken ship is dangerous to the divers. The lines from the salvage ship to the divers can easily become fouled, and the diver can become trapped underwater if the sunken vessel should shift, or settle, on the ocean floor.

Salvaging operations conducted by divers necessarily take an inordinate amount of time. In salvaging cargo or gear from the sunken vessel, each piece of cargo must be secured by the diver to a line from the salvage ship, and guided out of the sunken ship for elevation to the salvage ship. The divers must emerge frequently from the ocean fioor, and each time they emerge, time must be spent for gradual decompression to avoid caisson disease.

There are, of course, vessels which are sunk in waters too deep for salvage operations by divers, and the gear and cargo from these vessels are generally abandoned to the sea.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the resent invention a novel method and apparatus are provided for effecting salvaging operations in a manner to overcome many of the problems inherent in conventional salvage operations.

In the preferred form of the invention a closed, water-tight fitting is temporarily held, as by permanent magnets, to the hull of a sunken vessel. The fitting has rivet guns thereon to drive rivets into the hull to securely fasten the fitting to the hull. Thereafter, a cutting charge carried by the fitting is detonated to blast a hole in the hull, and a clearing charge is detonated to provide an access opening in the fitting. A hose is then connected to the fitting to pump a buoyant material, such as plastic or glass spheres, through the fitting and into the hull, to float the vessel.

When the vessel is floated, salvage operations can proceed quickly, without danger to personnel. Cargon and gear can be removed quickly from the floating vessel, or the vessel can be towed to a salvage dock for removal of cargo and repair of the vessel. Saving the vessel, and cargo trapped in the vessel which could not be removed if the vessel remained on the bottom, renders the salvage operations disclosed herein vastly more profitable than conventional salvage operations. Moreover, by minimizing or eliminating expensive and dangerous diving operations, the salvage operations are simplified and rendered more economical.

The initial positioning of the fitting on the hull, and the connection of the hose to the fitting, can be effected by divers if the sinking occurs in shallower wations. In either case, the work can be accomplished from outside the hull, where danger of fouled lines or entrapment of the diver (if one is used) is minimal.

It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a novel method of, and apparatus for, raising a sunken vessel.

It is another object of the present invention to raise a sunken vessel with minimal or no danger to divers.

It is yet another object of the present invention to raise a sunken vessel, and the cargo thereon, inexpensively and quickly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of the fitting which is placed on the hull.

FIG. 2 is a view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view in elevation showing the fitting temporarily held on the hull by magnets in the fitting.

FIG. 4 is a side view, with parts broken away, showing the fitting held on the hull by rivets.

FIG. 5 is a side view, with parts broken away, showing the detonationof the charges in the fitting to blast a hole in the hull and remove the cover from the fitting.

FIG. 6 is a view showing the removal by submarine of the rivet guns and the cover plate from the fitting.

FIG. 7 is a side view, partly in cross-section, showing the connection of the tube to the fitting.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side view, partly broken away, showing the latch mechanism by which the tube is connected to the fitting.

FIG. 9 is a side view, partly broken away, showing the introduction of plastic spheres from the tube through the fitting and into the hull.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In raising a sunken vessel 10 (FIG. 6) in accordance ith the present invention, a fitting 12 is initially placed temporarily on the outside surface 14 of the hull 15. The fitting, which is shown best in FIG. 2, may be placed on the hull by a diver or, in deep water, a submarine 16 (FIG. 6) may be used. The submarine 16 is equipped with articulated manipulators l8 terminating in claws 20 which are capable of handling the fitting. Manipulators with claws to handle articles remotely are well known, and a typical mechanism of this type is shown and described in MACHINE DESIGN, May 14, 1970, page 12. Other manipulators are shown and described in the United States Atomic Energy Commision publication HOT LABORATORY EQUIPMENT, Second Edition, April 1958.

The fitting is held on the hull temporarily by magnets 22 mounted in the fitting l2 and positioned therein for engagement with the hull. A more permanent attachment of the fitting to the hull is effected by means of rivet guns 24, which are mounted on the fitting 12 and which drive rivets 26 into the hull, as shown in FIG. 4. After the fitting 12 is secured to the hull 15 by rivets 26, the cutting charge 28 (FIG. 2) carried in the fitting is detonated to blast an opening 30 through the hull as shown by FIG. 5. A clearing charge 29, also carried in the fitting, is simultaneously detonated to clear the cover and the base from the fitting. Thereafter, a tube 32 (which may extend from a surface vessel) is secured to the fitting to pass plastic or glass hollow spheres 34 (FIG. 9) through the opening into the hull. The buoyancy of the light, hollow spheres will float the vessel to the surface where salvage operations can proceed more quickly and efficiently.

The fitting 12 is shown in detail in FIGS. 1 and 2. The fitting consists of a cylindrical body portion surrounded by a tiered flange 42, consisting of a thicker, inner portion 42a and a thinner outer portion 42b. An inner base plate 44 at the flange end of the fitting, and an outer cover plate 46 at the opposite end of the fitting, close and seal (by O-rings and 47) the two ends of the body portion 40 to define a water-tight air chamber 49 within the fitting. A rod 48 is welded at one end to outer cover plate 46 and is secured at the other end by screw 50 t0 the inner base plate 44-. A lift cable 52, leading from the submarine 16, is secured to a ring 54 which is welded to the outer cover plate 46. A securing cable 51, also leading from the submarine, is connected to a propellant actuated cable disconnect 53 which, in turn, is connected to ring 55 on the fitting 12. The cable 51 prevents the fitting 12 from sinking prior to placing the fitting on the hull.

A bracket 56 of I-shaped cross-section is secured to the outer surface of the fitting body portion 40 to provide a handle which can be grasped by a claw 20 of one of the submarine manipulators 18 to position the fitting on the hull. The flange 42 of the fitting has three equally spaced edge slots 58 to receive the permanent magnets 22. Each magnet, which is of horseshoe conformation, straddles, and is supported by, a support bar 60. The bar 60 is secured to a spacer ring 62 which is mounted on the flange 42. The spacer ring is cut away, as at 63, to accommodate the tiered conformation of the flange. The magnets 22 serve to hold the fitting temporarily to the hull until a more permanent fastening is accomplished.

The flange 42 has three sockets to receive the ends of rivet guns 24. The ends of the guns have diametrically opposed radial studs 72 which, on rotation of the gun through 90, fit into lateral grooves 74 in the socket to hold the gun securely in the socket. The gun has a handle 75 at its outer end to which a retaining cable 77 is secured. The guns are initially installed on the fitting before the salvage operations begin. However, after the fitting is riveted to the hull, the handles 75 0f the guns are rotated 90 by the submarine manipulator 18 to disengage the guns from the fitting for return of the guns to the submarine by means of cable 77. The gun has a bore 76 in which the drive rivets 26 are received. A cartridge 78 is held in the bore outside the drive rivets, and a detonator (not shown) is mounted at the outer end of the gun. The detonator of each gun is connected electrically by wires 79a and 79b through an intermediate electrical connector 80 to a main connector 82. The intermediate and main electrical connectors are mounted on and pass through the outer cover plate 46 of the fitting. An electrical signal transmitted from the submarine through electrical cable 81 will pass through the main connector 82 and each intermediate connector 80 to set off the detonators and fire the cartridges 78, driving the rivets 26 partly through the flange 42a and into the hull, as shown in FIG. 4. The rivets thus serve to secure the fitting to the hull.

Around the inner end of the fitting body 40, adjacent the base plate 44, there is a ring 84 of shock absorbing material, such as a plastic or rubber, in which the cutting charge 28 is deposited. The charge 28 is placed in a circumferential pocket 88 extending around the ring 84, with a plurality of detonators 90 adjacent thereto. The detonators are electrically connected by wires 91 to main connector 82 for firing on a signal from the submarine. The clearing charge 29 is secured to rod 48 within the fitting, and a detonator 92 for the charge is connected electrically by wire 93 to the main connector 82. The propellant actuated cable disconnect 53 has a detonating wire 95 extending therefrom which is also connected to the main connector 82.

When the firing signal is transmitted from the submarine 16 through cable 81, the cutting charge 28, clearing charge 29, and the cable disconnect 53 are detonated simultaneously, as shown in FIG. 5. The clearing charge 29 fractures the rod 48 and blasts the outer cover plate 46 from the fitting. The cutting charge 28 blasts out the inner cover plate 44 (which has an outer, thinner portion 44a under the cutting charge 28) and cuts a hole 30 in the hull. At the same time, the cable 51 is separated from the fitting 12. The outer cover plate 46, with the intermediate and main connectors thereon, are pulled back to the submarine by cable 52. The handles of the guns are rotated 90 by means of the submarine manipulators to disconnect them from the fitting 12 and returned to the submarine by cables 77.

After the hole 30 is blasted in the hull, and the cover plate and guns are pulled away, the tube 32 is mounted on the fitting by means of the manipulators 18. The tube 32 consists of a flexible hose 94 and a terminal pipe connector 96. The pipe connector, which has a 90 bend (see FIG. 7), has a positioning handle (of I-shaped cross-section) that can be tightly grasped by the claws 20 of one of the manipulators. A latch mechanism 10 2 on the pipe connector includes a finger 104 with a shoulder 106 at the end thereof. The finger is pivotally mounted on a fulcrum block 108 and is normally urged to a latch position by spring 110, as shown in FIG. 8. A plunger 112 is slidably mounted in a casing 114 received in fulcrum block 108, and is normally urged out of the casing by spring 116. When the end of the pipe connector 96 is advanced into the fitting 12 by the manipulator claw 20, the shoulder 106 of latch finger 104 engages a shoulder 118 on the outside of fitting 12 to lock the hose to the fitting.

The tube 32 preferably leads from a surface vessel, and a buoyant material, such as light, hollow plastic or glass spheres 34, is pumped from the vessel, through the tube 32 and fitting 12, into the hull. The spheres become trapped in and throughout the hull and, when enough spheres have been pumped therein, the hull will float to the surface. If a small vessel is to be floated, the hose may be connected to the submarine providing a sufficient supply of buoyant material can be stored therein.

When the sunken vessel begins to elevate, the pumping of the buoyant material is stopped and the tube is disconnected from the fitting. The pipe connector 96 of tube 32 has a floatation drum 120 thereon, and the tube may be connected by cable (not shown) to the surface vessel. The latch finger 104 has a lever 124 thereon which is connected by cable 126 and rod 128 to I-shaped handle 130. The rod 128 is slidably mounted in mounting posts 132 connected to the pipe connector 96, and when the manipulator claw pulls on handle 130, the latch finger is lifted to release the pipe connector 96, with the aid of springurged plunger 112.

The tube 32 then floats to the surface for retrieval by the surface vessel.

Although the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention has been herein shown and described, it will be apparent that modification and variation may be made without departing from what is regarded to be the subject matter of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. The method of injecting buoyant articles into a sunken vessel having a hull for raising the vessel comprising the steps of attaching to the hull a sealed watertight fitting having an explosive charge therein, detonating said charge to blast a hole in the hull, establishing an opening in said fitting after said fitting has been attached to said hull attaching a hose to the opening of said fitting and pumping the buoyant articles through said hose and into the hull. v

2. The method of injecting buoyant articles into a sunken vessel having a hull for raising the vessel comprising the stepsof placing and temporarily holding on the hull a sealed fitting having fasteners with explosive charges and having a cutting charge, detonating said explosive charges for the fasteners to secure the fitting to the hull, detonating said cutting charge to blast a hole in the hull, establishing an opening of said fitting after said fitting has been secured to said hull attaching a tube to the opening of said fitting and pumping the buoyant articles through said tube into the hull.

3. The method of raising a sunken vessel comprising the steps of placing and temporarily holding on the hull a sealed water-tight fitting having fasteners with explosive charges and having a cutting charge and a clearing charge, detonating said explosive charges for the fasteners to secure the fitting to the hull, detonating said cutting charge to blast a hole in the hull, detonating said clearing charge to open said sealed fitting, attaching a tube to said fitting, and pumping a buoyant material through said tube into the hull.

, 4. The method of claim 3 in which said fitting is temporarily held on the hull by providing magnets in the fitting.

5. The method of claim 3 in which said buoyant material consists of hollow plastic spheres.

6. Apparatus for raising a sunken vessel comprising a water-tight fitting, permanent magnets in said fitting to hold said fitting temporarily to the hull of said vessel, rivet guns connected to said fitting having rivets and explosive charges therein, said rivets securing the fitting to the hull on detonation of said explosive charges, a cutting charge within said fitting to blast a hole in the hull when said cutting charge is detonated, a clearing charge in said fitting to open the fitting, and a tube detachably connectable to said fitting to pump buoyant material through the fitting and into the hull.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said rivet guns are detachably connected to the outside of said fitting for removal after said rivets have secured the fitting to the hull.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said cutting charge is disposed in a circular pattern around the inside of said fitting to blast a hole of generally circular conformation in the hull.

flange on said fitting, permanent magnets in said flange to hold said fitting temporarily to the hull of said vessel, rivet guns detachably connected to said flange, each gun having a rivet therein and an explosive charge for the rivet, said rivets penetrating the flange and hull to secure the flange to the hull on detonation of said rivet gun charges, a cutting charge disposed around the inside of the fitting adjacent the base thereof to blast through the base and tear a hole in the hull on detonation of said cutting charge, a clearing charge in said chamber to blast the cover off the fitting, a tube detachably connectable to said fitting to pump buoyant material through the fitting and into the hull, and means to detonate said charges.

10. Apparatus for raising a sunken vessel comprising a tubular fitting body having watertight removable end closures, means for attaching one end of said fitting body to the hull of a vessel, severable means within said fitting body interconnecting said end closures, and explosive charges within said fitting body for substantially simultaneously severing said interconnecting means and blasting said end closures in opposite axial directions relative to said fitting body.

11. An underwater fitting for salvaging sunken vessels comprising a hollow cylindrical body, a laterally projecting flange on one end of said body for attachment of said body to the hull of a vessel, a removable base plate closing said body substantially in the plane of said flange, a removable cover plate closing the other end of said body, a rod interconnecting the confronting faces of said base plate and, said cover plate, an annular cutting charge mounted in said body proximate said base plate to sever both the base plate and the underlying portion of the hull, and a clearing charge secured to said rod intermediate said base and cover plates; the simultaneous detonation of said charges separating said rod, blasting said base plate inward through the resultant hole in the hull, and blasting said cover plate outward from said body.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 having attaching means including a plurality of fasteners mounted on said flange and having explosive charges for attaching the flange to the hull, and a plurality of magnets mounted on said flange for temporary attachment of the fitting to the hull prior to detonating the explosive charges of said fasteners.

13. Apparatus according to claim 11 and a plurality of explosively actuated rivet guns mounted on said flange, detonator wire connectors mounted on said cover plate and carrying electrical conductors for triggering the charges associated with said rivet guns and said base and cover plates, the detonation of said cutter and clearing charges simultaneously disposing of all of said electrical conductors.

14. Apparatus for raising a sunken vessel comprising a sealed watertight fitting for undersea attachment to the hull of the vessel, said fitting including an elongate hollow cylindrical body having removable opposed end plates, means for attaching one end of said body to the hull, internal explosive charges mounted in said body, means for detonating the internal charges to remove said end plates by blasting a hole in the hull and opening the fitting seaward, and external means on the free end of said fitting for attaching a conduit over said seaward opening to pump buoyant material into the hull. 

1. The method of injecting buoyant articles into a sunken vessel having a hull for raising the vessel comprising the steps of attaching to the hull a sealed water-tight fitting having an explosive charge therein, detonating said charge to blast a hole in the hull, establishing an opening in said fitting after said fitting has been attached to said hull attaching a hose to the opening of said fitting and pumping the buoyant articles through said hose and into the hull.
 2. The method of injecting buoyant articles into a sunken vessel having a hull for raising the vessel comprising the steps of placing and temporarily holding on the hull a sealed fitting having fasteners with explosive charges and having a cutting charge, detonating said explosive charges for the fasteners to secure the fitting to the hull, detonating said cutting charge to blast a hole in the hull, establishing an opening of said fitting after said fiTting has been secured to said hull attaching a tube to the opening of said fitting and pumping the buoyant articles through said tube into the hull.
 3. The method of raising a sunken vessel comprising the steps of placing and temporarily holding on the hull a sealed water-tight fitting having fasteners with explosive charges and having a cutting charge and a clearing charge, detonating said explosive charges for the fasteners to secure the fitting to the hull, detonating said cutting charge to blast a hole in the hull, detonating said clearing charge to open said sealed fitting, attaching a tube to said fitting, and pumping a buoyant material through said tube into the hull.
 4. The method of claim 3 in which said fitting is temporarily held on the hull by providing magnets in the fitting.
 5. The method of claim 3 in which said buoyant material consists of hollow plastic spheres.
 6. Apparatus for raising a sunken vessel comprising a water-tight fitting, permanent magnets in said fitting to hold said fitting temporarily to the hull of said vessel, rivet guns connected to said fitting having rivets and explosive charges therein, said rivets securing the fitting to the hull on detonation of said explosive charges, a cutting charge within said fitting to blast a hole in the hull when said cutting charge is detonated, a clearing charge in said fitting to open the fitting, and a tube detachably connectable to said fitting to pump buoyant material through the fitting and into the hull.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said rivet guns are detachably connected to the outside of said fitting for removal after said rivets have secured the fitting to the hull.
 8. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said cutting charge is disposed in a circular pattern around the inside of said fitting to blast a hole of generally circular conformation in the hull.
 9. Apparatus for raising a sunken vessel comprising a fitting of circular cross-section having a water-tight base and a water-tight cover to define an air chamber therein, a rod connecting said base and said cover, a flange on said fitting, permanent magnets in said flange to hold said fitting temporarily to the hull of said vessel, rivet guns detachably connected to said flange, each gun having a rivet therein and an explosive charge for the rivet, said rivets penetrating the flange and hull to secure the flange to the hull on detonation of said rivet gun charges, a cutting charge disposed around the inside of the fitting adjacent the base thereof to blast through the base and tear a hole in the hull on detonation of said cutting charge, a clearing charge in said chamber to blast the cover off the fitting, a tube detachably connectable to said fitting to pump buoyant material through the fitting and into the hull, and means to detonate said charges.
 10. Apparatus for raising a sunken vessel comprising a tubular fitting body having watertight removable end closures, means for attaching one end of said fitting body to the hull of a vessel, severable means within said fitting body interconnecting said end closures, and explosive charges within said fitting body for substantially simultaneously severing said interconnecting means and blasting said end closures in opposite axial directions relative to said fitting body.
 11. An underwater fitting for salvaging sunken vessels comprising a hollow cylindrical body, a laterally projecting flange on one end of said body for attachment of said body to the hull of a vessel, a removable base plate closing said body substantially in the plane of said flange, a removable cover plate closing the other end of said body, a rod interconnecting the confronting faces of said base plate and said cover plate, an annular cutting charge mounted in said body proximate said base plate to sever both the base plate and the underlying portion of the hull, and a clearing charge secured to said rod intermediate said base and cover plates; the simultaneous detonation of said charges separating saiD rod, blasting said base plate inward through the resultant hole in the hull, and blasting said cover plate outward from said body.
 12. Apparatus according to claim 11 having attaching means including a plurality of fasteners mounted on said flange and having explosive charges for attaching the flange to the hull, and a plurality of magnets mounted on said flange for temporary attachment of the fitting to the hull prior to detonating the explosive charges of said fasteners.
 13. Apparatus according to claim 11 and a plurality of explosively actuated rivet guns mounted on said flange, detonator wire connectors mounted on said cover plate and carrying electrical conductors for triggering the charges associated with said rivet guns and said base and cover plates, the detonation of said cutter and clearing charges simultaneously disposing of all of said electrical conductors.
 14. Apparatus for raising a sunken vessel comprising a sealed watertight fitting for undersea attachment to the hull of the vessel, said fitting including an elongate hollow cylindrical body having removable opposed end plates, means for attaching one end of said body to the hull, internal explosive charges mounted in said body, means for detonating the internal charges to remove said end plates by blasting a hole in the hull and opening the fitting seaward, and external means on the free end of said fitting for attaching a conduit over said seaward opening to pump buoyant material into the hull. 